Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Versant Corporation (NASDAQ:VSNT) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eight analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $40.40.

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VSNT. Zacks Research downgraded Versant from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Seaport Research Partners reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $46.00 price objective on shares of Versant in a research note on Monday, May 18th. TD Cowen began coverage on Versant in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $32.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Versant from $37.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on Versant in a research note on Tuesday, May 12th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $43.00 price objective on the stock.

Versant Stock Performance

Shares of VSNT stock opened at $40.22 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $40.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 2.32 and a quick ratio of 2.32. Versant has a twelve month low of $27.17 and a twelve month high of $59.00. The company has a market cap of $5.68 billion and a P/E ratio of 20.21.

Versant (NASDAQ:VSNT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 14th. The company reported $1.99 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.30. The company had revenue of $1.69 billion during the quarter. On average, analysts forecast that Versant will post 4.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Versant Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 22nd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 1st will be issued a $0.375 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, July 1st. Versant’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 75.38%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Versant news, Director Gerald L. Hassell bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $36.07 per share, with a total value of $360,700.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 12,680 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $457,367.60. This represents a 373.13% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Michael Aaron Conway bought 1,350 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 9th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $36.14 per share, for a total transaction of $48,789.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 3,728 shares in the company, valued at approximately $134,729.92. The trade was a 56.77% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Company insiders own 0.14% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Versant

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Parallel Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Versant in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Glenmede Trust Co. NA acquired a new stake in Versant in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $219,000. Essential Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Versant in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $82,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in Versant in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,317,000. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC acquired a new stake in Versant in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $2,544,000.

Versant Company Profile

Versant Corporation is a provider of data management software. The Company designs, develops, markets and supports database management system products that companies use to solve data management and data integration issues. It also provides related product support, training and consulting services to assist users of the Company’s products in developing and deploying software applications based on its products. The Company’s Versant Object Database product is used primarily by enterprises, which have data management requirements, such as technology providers, telecommunications carriers, Government defense agencies, defense contractors, healthcare companies and companies in the financial services and transportation industries.